


courage, dear heart

by wshxn



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Code Geass, Eventual Romance, First Meetings, HappySehunDay, Kim Jongin | Kai is a Soldier, Kim Junmyeon | Suho & Kim Jongin | Kai Are Brothers, M/M, Oh Sehun is a Prince, Royalty, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-12
Updated: 2019-04-12
Packaged: 2020-01-12 01:18:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18436046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wshxn/pseuds/wshxn
Summary: oh sehun is the epitome of grace and royalty in black, a stark contrast to jongin in pristine white, his eyes hooded with handsome secrecy and his lips pulled back in quiet greeting, hair as dark as the many evenings prior. it is in this moment when jongin understands lord baekhyun’s stories and pointless pining over the prince, the blush that would fill his cheeks whenever sehun so much as looked in his direction during royal banquets jongin is hardly invited to.because when their eyes meet for the first time, jongin almost wishes, from then on, that sehun would stop looking at his.





	courage, dear heart

**Author's Note:**

> a code geass!au. happy sehun day. ♡

it is said to be the most anticipated event of the year.

kim junmyeon, eldest son of the viceroy of area 16, then called the korean peninsula, has been wed to do kyungsoo, honorary britannian and rightful heir to a company that specializes in healthcare and pharmaceutical manufacturing well-established under the reign of emperor oh. 

kyungsoo had chosen no less than what they deserve, as the reception appears as grandiose as he had imagined and meticulously planned months ago, and kim jongin, youngest son to viceroy kim, could not be any happier for his best friend. 

he claps away proudly with the crowd when the couple walks in at the grand ballroom hand-in-hand, warmth pooling in the pit of his stomach at the sight of junmyeon’s unshed tears, his winning smile. distinguished guests and various media outlets have come from all over the world to witness such a union of souls, and inevitably, to catch a glimpse of the emperor and empress of the holy britannian empire, should they arrive.

until then, being the youngest had its perks, perhaps, as jongin spends the earlier part of the evening by the refreshments while his brother and his husband mingle with their well-wishers. he is about to down his second flute of champagne when the hushed chatter grows and the media men begin to pick up on the reason behind the excited whispers. 

however, it is not the presence of his and her majesty that causes a stir, but the arrival of oh sehun, twelfth prince of the empire, rumored to be the next in line for the throne and the emperor’s youngest acknowledged son and most favored one, the wisest and most bewitching among other possible heirs. 

and it is without a doubt that the man descending the grand staircase, young and elegant in every meaning of the word, has piqued jongin’s interest. 

oh sehun is the epitome of grace and royalty in black, a stark contrast to jongin in pristine white, his eyes hooded with handsome secrecy and his lips pulled back in quiet greeting, hair as dark as the many evenings prior. it is in this moment when  jongin understands lord baekhyun’s stories and pointless pining over the prince, the blush that would fill his cheeks whenever sehun so much as looked in his direction during royal banquets jongin is hardly invited to.

because when their eyes meet for the first time, jongin almost wishes, from then on, that sehun would stop looking at his.

  
  
  
  
  
  


sehun bows before viceroy kim, eyes downcast as he does so in reverence. ‘the emperor and empress send their sincerest apologies for missing this grand occasion, viceroy kim, as well as their best wishes to the newlyweds.’

‘it is a great honor in itself for a prince of britannia to grace us with his presence,’ viceroy kim responds with a bow, his children following suit. junmyeon and kyungsoo pay their respects before sehun sends them back to their guests with his own congratulations. viceroy kim gestures for jongin to approach the prince, ‘please allow my son, jongin, to accompany you tonight, your highness. he, too, is without company.’

the gaze sehun gives him is curious and gentle, almost searching for a hint of familiarity. jongin feels his palms sweat. ‘ah, kim jongin. it is a pleasure to finally meet you. i have heard many things about you.’

‘your highness,’ jongin responds with a polite smile and a curt bow, leading sehun through the gathering crowd. ‘i am sure. lord baekhyun  _ does _ have a hard time keeping his mouth shut.’

‘his stories were delightful,’ sehun chuckles good-naturedly, accepting a glass of wine from an offering server. ‘you need not worry. he is very fond of you, kim jongin.’

‘well he  _ is _ like a brother to me.’

‘an alternative to kim junmyeon?’ sehun asks, amused, almost teasing. they settle on a cocktail table nearest to the balcony, the furthest corner away from prying individuals. ‘i would hardly think so.’

jongin laughs in his glass of whiskey at the question. ‘junmyeon is different, as is lord baekhyun. lord baekhyun is a lot less reserved. more playful. a breath of fresh air, if i may say. i cannot blame junmyeon, though. he is presumed to succeed my father, after all.’

‘what of you, then?’

‘if his majesty, the emperor, permits, i wish to become a knight of the round.’

sehun’s breath hitches, very much familiar with kim jongin’s training records. his physical prowess is top-notch, even possessing a 94-percent efficiency rating in piloting a superior knightmare frame, the lancelot. without a doubt, jongin has both the capacity and the skill set to be recruited as one of the twelve infamous horsemen. ‘it is not an impossible feat. your records are impressive and will not go unnoticed.’

‘but i am merely a  _ sixteen _ , your highness, despite my father’s position in government—’

‘you are an honorary britannian, jongin—a  _ warrant officer _ , too—but first and foremost,  _ korean _ ,’ sehun sighs, almost exasperatedly, like it physically pained him to hear jongin think less of himself because of his ethnic roots. ‘so are most of your other guests here. there is no need to address yourselves as such, not to anyone, not even before me. do you understand?’

jongin is taken aback by the change in the prince’s behaviour, but agrees, nonetheless. he empties his glass, offering sehun another serving of his wine as an apology of sorts. without thinking, jongin asks, ‘why the lack of bodyguards this evening, your highness?’

‘i am accompanied by britannia’s most skilled soldier,’ sehun smirks, a sparkle of unknown playfulness in his eyes. jongin feels his heart in his throat. ‘i am the least bit uneasy right now.’

noticing his discomfort, sehun shifts the topic from mundane politics to philosophy, to the blooming roses of aries villa and the lush greenery of exelica garden back at the imperial palace. the prince speaks with hidden exhilaration and jongin listens dazedly, wondering aloud if the sun shines differently in pendragon.

they are ushered to dine and drink with notable patrons, but sehun’s attention was solely on him, much to the dismay and curiosity of many.

‘it sounds picturesque, your highness,’ jongin exhales dreamily, taking in the mild flush of sehun’s cheeks under his stare, reciprocating and serene. ‘tranquil, even, i suppose.’

sehun does not know what to make of it, the sudden tension that pricks on his skin. he briefly wonders if the roses back home would reflect beautifully in jongin’s eyes, if the sun will paint his skin gold in those afternoons sehun would allow himself solitude among hundreds of florets. ‘i am almost certain that you would love it there, kim jongin.’

there is an invitation lingering between sehun’s words, like the secret is in the telling. jongin takes the hint and nods all too willingly. 

by the time the sixth course comes in, jongin deduces that maybe both of them had a glass of liquor too many, as he notices how sehun’s posture seems to lack its usual poise. ‘are you alright, your highness?’

‘a little intoxicated maybe,’ sehun confesses with a wave of a hand, but the grin he throws jongin is a little too kittenish to be formal. ‘care to accompany me to the gardens,  _ soldier _ ?’

with a small sigh, jongin stands from his seat and offers the prince his arm like a proper gentleman, almost taking sehun by surprise with his chivalry. ‘shall we?’

  
  
  
  
  
  


the breeze is cool on jongin’s skin, feeling the prince shiver involuntarily into his side as it momentarily picks up.

‘had you been completely sober, i would have asked you to dance,’ jongin speaks boldly through the hush, finding peace away from the cacophony of the affair, of snide comments from visitors envious that he had effortlessly taken all of the prince’s attention. jongin had drowned them out for the hand that lingered a moment too long atop his. 

‘oh, jongin,’ sehun tightens his grip on the soldier’s arm, bursting into childlike peals of laughter. this  _ prince _ oh sehun under the subtle influence of alcohol is completely unguarded it is almost nerve-wracking. ‘i did not quite take you for a dancer.’

they step inside a gazebo, a sliver of moonlight spilling into the hollow space, but not so bright as to dull the stars that have become sehun’s eyes, dusted with the glow of youth and mystery jongin had learned to cherish.

he cannot bring himself to look away. 

‘may i speak informally to his highness?’

‘by all means,’ sehun hums with the wind, and from where jongin stands, the prince looks rather weary, almost forlorn. how heavy a burden it must be to carry the weight of expectations and the welfare of mankind. ‘any ounce of normalcy is welcome.’

jongin, then, does not hold back, veering away from any topic of diplomacy at an attempt to console the prince of his fatigue. he speaks of his childhood—the short walks along the golden trails of namiseom, the trek that boasts of breathtaking views in seoraksan, the cherry blossoms of jinhae in springtime—casually letting slip an invitation to take sehun there, _ if you would let me.  _

when jongin let his gaze linger on the prince a moment longer, he is not prepared to drown in the ocean that have become sehun’s eyes. 

‘kim jongin,’ sehun breathes, voice dripping with sweetness that reminds jongin of october sunsets and white magnolias. ‘am i mistaken in thinking that you may be in like with me?’

‘y-your highness,’ jongin gulps, not denying his affections towards the prince, though somewhat frightened of the outcome of this bond. he does not dare look away. ‘it does not matter. i do not see how pursuing whatever  _ this _ may be could merit the empire.’

‘this has nothing to do with such trivialities, jongin. before you now, i am  _ just  _ oh sehun without so much a title and wealth to his name,’ sehun’s thumb traces the moonlight on the curve of jongin’s cheek, an image of vulnerability and longing that it makes the prince’s hand tremble with anticipation. ‘tell me i am wrong and we can forget this conversation ever happened. nothing will come of this misunderstanding, i assure you.’

jongin’s stunned silence causes a shift in sehun’s demeanor, a forlorn expression passing his features as quick as it had gone, anyone would miss it. 

but jongin does not. how could he when sehun all but put him under his spell?

there is a quiet tug in his chest, a hum so low it dares to be acknowledged. he grabs the prince’s wrist before it falls helplessly to his side, like a lifeline to hold on to, full of hope and a silver-tongued confession, and he  _ lets go _ .

‘you are  _ captivating _ , your highness, and i am deeply enamoured,’ jongin murmurs in the palm of sehun’s hand, a clandestine kiss, an imminent confession at the tip of his tongue. sehun is just as breathtaking in this half-darkness. ‘i selfishly wish to never be parted from you again.’

‘then would you be  _ my _ knight instead, jongin?’ sehun’s heart is on his sleeve for all the stars to see, reflected in the honesty and certitude in his eyes as clear as day. ‘will you do the honor of staying by my side forevermore, notwithstanding the occasion that i succeed the throne years from now?’

jongin would bring down an empire and build the world anew, should his highness command it. he would risk it all for this man and follow him to the ends of the earth. jongin, in all his weakness and bravado, kneels steadily before the prince, before the  _ world _ , taking sehun’s wrist to his lips as a silent promise. ‘this, i solemnly accept.’

sehun pulls him up by the hand, not letting go of what could be. ‘our paths will cross time and time again, jongin,’ he breathes, closing what little distance between them with newfound confidence and a little something like first love running through his veins.  _ do not be afraid. _

jongin kisses the corner of the prince’s lips softly,  _ assuredly _ , ghosting his unbreakable vow on the curve of sehun’s smile. ‘yes, my prince.’

_ you and i can do anything together. _

**Author's Note:**

>   * the title is from c.s. lewis’ “the chronicles of narnia: the voyage of the dawn treader”.
>   * i imagined [this](http://i65.tinypic.com/2d14bon.jpg) as their attire.
>   * in the series, the korean peninsula is said to be under the jurisdiction of the chinese federation. however, the official light novels indicate that it is under the holy empire of britannia as area 16. _i used the latter reference as i see it fit the setting of the story._
>   * baekhyun is the son of a grand duke, hence, his title as ‘lord’.
>   * jongin’s rank in the military as a warrant officer was kururugi suzaku’s title granted by cornelia li britannia, second princess of the imperial family.
>   * jongin’s military records actually echo those of suzaku’s, while sehun’s apparent beauty and intelligence are known traits of lelouch vi britannia, including his displeasure over the empire’s area and numbers system (or its governing methods altogether).
>   * as a prince of the imperial family, sehun has authority to recruit a personal bodyguard under a special order of knighthood, which he offers to jongin. _it is also speculated that knights become lovers of the ones they serve._
>   * the last line, although rephrased, is a recurring dialogue between suzaku and lelouch (i.e. zero requiem).
> 

> 
> terminologies   
> 
>
>> **area 16 (korean peninsula):** an area is a nation or group of nations that has been conquered by britannia and made into a colony, with each area designated with a number, with its local citizens labelled as its corresponding number
>> 
>> **viceroy:** a position that grants supreme power and authority over a post-colonized area
>> 
>> **pendragon:** capital city of the holy britannian empire
>> 
>> **aries imperial villa:** residence of the current empress located within the capital city; known for its aerial gardens
>> 
>> **exelica garden:** a garden located inside the imperial palace
>> 
>> **honorary britannian:** citizenship granted to all non-britannians living in britannia-conquered areas, so long as they are willing to serve and be loyal to the empire; legally almost identical to ethnic britannians as they are allowed to earn special privileges, live in wealthy cities, etc., but are still frequently discriminated against on the basis of their racial background
>> 
>> **knights of the round:** a unit of twelve elite knights in the holy britannian empire, each being assigned into the group by royalty and under direct command of the emperor
>> 
>> **knightmare:** humanoid war machines developed by the holy britannian empire
> 
> **  
>  **
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> side note:
>
>> this work was originally written for the exoweddingau fic fest, but it seems to have been abandoned. i put heart into this fic, which is why i am sharing it with you also as my small contribution for sehun's birthday. ♡


End file.
